CSP Shola Jejeloye, the Chairman of the Lagos State Taskforce on Environmental Offences, on Sunday have opened up that serious steps were being taken to address street trading and other vices in the state.
The chairman had opened up about this while addressing officers of the task force on the negative and harmful effects street trading was having on the state.
He said officers would be deployed to carry out an all-round operation in areas like Iyana-Ipaja, Oshodi, Ikeja Along, Yaba amongst others.
The Taskforce chairman said that residents of the state were being made to face unnecessary traffic jams and hardship caused by street trading.
According to him, the operation will be directed at acts of displaying wares by the road side, selling on kerb, and illegal blocking of streets to carry out social activities, flagrant pollution of the environment and indiscriminate parking of vehicles on roads.
He said his officers will also check illegal collection of fees on the highways by the road transport union officials and others constituting nuisance by serial offenders within the state.
“It has become worrisome having to spend many hours in traffic caused by unauthorized display of wares by traders on our roads, thereby creating an artificial bottleneck.
“We have to put a stop to that by ensuring that activities involving buying and selling are taken off the roads and into the marketing complex designed for such.
“Street trading gives room for traffic robbery in some parts of the state.
“There are many instances where some street traders carry out their activities during the day and when it gets dark they pull out dangerous weapons like knives and sharp objects to rob motorists held up in traffic,” he said.
The chairman pointed out that elimination of street trading would drastically reduce the cases of traffic robbery being reported daily.
